As you probably already know, I own a home care business in Phoenix, Arizona. Moxie Girl has been in operation for 6 years, which means I’ve been cleaning homes and teaching my team how to clean homes for a while now. I have no issues cleaning 95% of a house. Grimy kitchens, messy bedrooms, and even super dirty toilets don’t bother me. The part of the home that I secretly get grossed out by is the shower. If the shower is in good condition, I get squeamish. If it’s in poor condition, I get flat out queasy.

What I’ve come to realize about showers is that the actual age of the shower doesn’t affect how the shower looks. The thing that really makes a difference is how well the shower is cared for. You can have two homes that are both 10 years old, and one could have a shower that looks brand new while the other's shower looks like it’s from a horror movie.

If you want to keep your shower looking new, this episode will give you my top 4 tips from years of experience cleaning other people’s icky showers.

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Tip #1: Prevent Hard Water Stains

The first tip for how to keep a shower looking new is to not let hard water build up. Hard water stains are one of the easiest things to prevent, yet most people overlook their importance in keeping a nice looking shower. Oftentimes when a new client shows me their bathroom and the glass shower door that is supposed to be clear is actually white, I have to have a talk with them to set their expectations.

I would love to tell clients that we will be able to get that shower door back to like-new condition, but the truth is that it is probably damaged beyond repair. See, all those water spots can actually cause damage to glass by etching it. While strong cleaning solutions and some elbow grease may be able to take off the residue, there’s not a lot that can be done once the glass is etched.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to prevent hard water stains in your shower. The first is to invest in a cheap squeegee and use it after every shower. By squeegeeing the water from the glass walls, you will remove any chance that hard water stains will form. If you don’t like using a squeegee, you can also simply use a microfiber towel to wipe down the glass walls and door. If the towel gets too much water in it, just wring it out and continue to wipe.

Finally, if you don’t have time for either of these options, you can use a daily shower cleaner to spray down the walls. No matter which option you choose, you will still want to wipe down your shower walls with a shower cleaner and rag every few weeks to give it an extra clean boost.